Category Archives: Travel

Chicago in the Springtime

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Spring is the perfect time to visit Chicago. Many of the city’s attractions are best seen on foot and walking tours of the architecture, museums, and shopping districts are popular activities for tourists. Given the city’s climate, with cold, wet winters and hot, humid summers, it is also the best time in general to enjoy Chicago in agreeable weather.

Many of the top sites are even better in the spring. The Lincoln Park Zoo and the Brookfield Zoo are best experienced in mild weather as are the city’s many parks and botanical gardens. There is nothing like walking through a field of spring blooming flowers and plants in a garden to lift the spirits and remind one of the wild beauty of life. The beaches and lakeside attractions are also much more accessible in the spring. This includes shoreline sightseeing, cruises and the famous Navy Pier.

Longer hours of daylight allow visitors more time to take in the legendary skyline and the views from some of the tallest buildings in the country. Outdoor music and arts festivals are common and it is possible to catch the occasional street performer in certain parts of the city. The various attractions covered by a Go Chicago Card are somehow better with the liveliness and energy that comes with spring.

Road Trips Take Planning

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Road trips are about spontaneous discovery and spur of the moment decisions. Getting from point A to point B may be the stated purpose of a road trip, but the fun part is exploring side roads and being seduced by roadside attractions to take long detours into unknown territory. Still, a certain amount of planning is necessary, otherwise you may find yourself trying to navigate with a folded up Ohio Wall Map that is missing half the roads and back highways that you need to navigate your route.

In addition to making sure you have the proper road maps or a good road atlas for the region you’ll be traveling, you’ll need a few other items.

  • Food and a cooler for storing beverages and perishable snacks.
  • Good music . Make sure your mp3 player is loaded with road trip music or you have a good selection of CDs with you. If your car is really old, buy a transmitter that will let you play your mp3 through the car radio.
  • List of interesting sites along the route.
  • Appropriate clothing. Different regions require different clothing. Remember that deserts can get cold at night.
  • First Aid Kit.
  • Basic tools for car repair.
  • Camera.
  • Batteries.

A GPS is optional. Getting lost is half the fun of a road trip, as it leads you to places you would never have seen. However, if you get really, really lost, you can pull it out and get back on track.

Latin Flavors on Display in Orlando

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The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando will host the Latin Food & Wine Festival on October 1st & 2nd. Billed as the premiere wine and culinary festival in Central Florida, the event will celebrate the food of the Latin community and promote cultural diversity in the region. Organizers expect between 3,000 and 5,000 food and wine lovers to attend the festival, including residents and visitors staying in the many business hotels. Orlando will offer a Latin twist to its flavors for the weekend.

Savor the Night kicks off the event on Friday, October 1st. In addition to incredible food and world famous Latin wines, there will be a silent auction offering jewelry, vacation getaways, and other original items. Saturday the 2nd will feature the Grand Tasting Village, where visitors can sample exquisite Latin food, wines, beers, and spirits from some of Florida’s finest restaurants and distributors. Food at the Village must be purchased with LFW Pesos which can be exchanged throughout festival at a $1 = 1 LFW Peso rate. There will be also be cooking demonstrations from the area’s celebrity chefs during the tasting at the Dellagio Town Center. A variety of Latin musicians, singers, and performers throughout the weekend’s festivities, including headliner Alicastro, a famed Colombian singer/songwriter.

Las Vegas Zoo is Southern Nevada Botanical Garden

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While millions of people visit Las Vegas every year and the majority of those who do, or even think about doing so will have casinos and gambling and card tables on their mind, there is actually a lot more to do in Vegas than what most people realize. Perhaps it’s due to the code that anything that happens there stays there. The world never gets out. Even so, there are some amazing cultural attractions, in addition to the spectacular and world famous shows on the strip, and these frequently become some of the favorite aspects of many people’s trip. Of course winning a few hundred dollars and checking out the pro players at the Bellagio Las Vegas is also a favorite aspect for many people, and sometimes it’s even a dream come true.

However, for a large number of people places like the Las Vegas Zoo , which is actually the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park is an amazing place to bring the entire family. In addition to the great exhibits and numerous animals it houses, the zoo is extremely active in conservation and protection of endangered species. The animals are a main attraction for many people and of course children love them, though there are also some incredible gem collections and, sponsored by the Las Vegas Gem Club, and beautiful botanical displays . At trip to the zoo is more of an adventure when it happens in Vegas.

London if First in Fashion

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No great statement can be made regarding the advent of the London fashion culture. It dates back to the period before the Hippie movement, which was originally a youth movement that had its beginnings in the United States during the 60s. When this culture hit London, the hippie fashion and values had a profound impact on the city. London ran with the hippie culture and turned the movement into something more fashionable than even the hippies could ever imagine; London turned into one of the fashion capitals of the world; others being Milan, Paris and New York City.

London now hosts a plethora of London Fashion Events with the London Fashion Week event being the most popular according to the statics posted by the hotels in London . Fashion Week is a bi-annual event in London, which now forms part of one of the city’s leading events attracting a target audience comprising of eminent fashion personalities, magazines, press and retailers. The London Fashion Week is held several months in advance of the season so that the prospective buyers and the press are given a head-start for the subsequent season.

There are also a lot of other London Events which starts September 2010 that are associated with the London Fashion Events including the London Social Events, London Art Events and London Shows.

Garden Spectacular in Tampa

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Beginning September 25, 2010, the Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) will be presenting ‘American Impressionists in the Garden’. The exhibit runs through January 3, 2010 and is the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and the Museum of Art in Nashville are the organizers. The exhibit will feature paintings depicting American and European gardens by American Impressionist. The exhibit will also feature bronze sculptures created by American artists that were specifically sculpted for gardens.

For anyone interested in landscapes, specifically garden landscapes, this is a perfect opportunity to have a look at one of the most fascinating and beautiful subject matters that the American Impressionist artists explored. You will leave the museum with a greater appreciation for the art of gardening and the influence it has on the Impressionist movement in America.

Near the end of the 19th century, American artists demonstrated a preference for gardens as artistic motifs as well as a growing appreciation of the art of gardening itself. Early 20th century America witnessed a mania for the garden, and the interest in the art of gardening dominated many areas of domestic life.

There is an excellent Tampa Hotel within walking distance of TMA, or many of Tampa’s transportation systems have stops within walking distance. The ‘American Impressionists in the Garden’, is an exhibit not to miss. If you’re on a budget, there’s also a budget hotel nearby, and ask the front desk if they offer their guests discount tickets to the museum.

Learn to Cook in Marrakech

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One of the best things you can bring back from a vacation in a very different land than your own is experiences. Taking in what you see and what you do will leave lasting memories of your adventure. Getting involved with the local traditions and joining a class is a fun way to learn more about the people and their lives.

Check with the marrakech hotels for information on different classes that you can take on a day or two of your trip. Each city and country has their own flair to share.

Some of the interesting culture of Marrakech lies in their food. Take a class at a place like Souk Cuisine Marrakech to learn how to make the many dishes that you have or will eat while you stay in the city. This cooking school will show you how to make many different kinds of sauces with the traditional methods. See how they prepare the amazing cuisine with different meats, vegetables and breads.

They will take you off to the market for the freshest ingredients in town then bring you back to learn how to put the meal together. They offer their classes in french, dutch and english and you will get to take home the recipes. What a great gift to bring back to your family and friends, a home cooked Moroccan meal.

Beauty in Denver

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For many people who grew up on Disney, there is really not better story out there than that of Beauty and the Beast. Because of this, when it was announced that they had turned it into a Broadway musical, there was much rejoicing. Unfortunately for many people, not everyone was able to make it to a showing when it was on Broadway. This may have been for money, or of other reasons, but that doesn’t mean that all of these people still can’t go see it. If you are in Denver or the surrounding area, make sure you get down to Phamaly stage in Denver and check out their production of the live action musical. This reproduction includes all of the songs from the original as well as a couple of new ones. It will be playing on weekends from July 15th through August 15th, so there is still a little bit of time.

If you are going to have to travel some time, don’t forget to book a room at one of the luxury Denver hotels
before hand, and plan out a few other things you might want to do while you are in the area. There are some great restaurants around the area also if you find when you get there that you need a little food before the show starts.

Portland Misses Velveteria

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For those who have long admired Portland’s vibrant and distinctive cultural scene, there’s definitely a space missing these days. It was the only city in the world to boast an entire gallery devoted solely to the cause of promoting works of art on velvet. Velveteria did indeed close its doors in February of 2010. The owners who started it, Caren Anderson and Karl Baldwin, decided to move back to their home by the beach in Southern California. Their own story, in fact, rivals the story of Velveteria, because it was always a love story.

For the couple, who have been seen picking up traces of their work and finding audiences in sunnier locations, the love story has always been central, even though it was partially based on a strange love for velvet paintings. Portland also has a great love for kitsch, and that love continues here, even though it’s less velvety. It still has plenty of funky spaces, and distinctive art works, and the people of the city are always pushing barriers in fun and innovative ways. That’s good news for the traveler looking at Portland hotel rates . They can rest assured there will be more than enough to fill the days and nights, and love stories are always repopulated with new characters whenever one act ends.

Family Activities in Kailua Hawaii

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Taking a trip to Hawaii usually means that the travelers are looking for a place to truly unwind. Visions of sandy beaches lined with palm trees and tropical flowers are dancing in ones head. The only goal is to get the summers most perfect tan while sipping up the best fruity filled drinks and reading the hot romance novel of the year. Taking in the cool breeze with an occasional afternoon tropical rain and a luau feast at dinner feels like just what the doctor would order for you. There is endless fun waiting for guests at the hotels. kailua beaches are lined with some of the best hotels in the world.

At some point one may want to venture out of the destination hotel and see more of the island. Spend some time with the locals or some other local attraction. There are plenty of ways to see the area and get a little exercise as well. They have some unique tours of the neighborhood with the Segway. The Segway will get you a little further down the road with out exhausting yourself. It is a fun activity for the whole family. Let Segway of Hawaii take you and your family on an island adventure.  

If the water is what is calling you than find a great water adventure. There are many great sports to take up while visiting the island and the Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks Company has all of the equipment you would need to get out and enjoy the great wet blue. Learn how to do something new. They can get you on your way to kayaking, windsurfing, kite surfing, surfing, boogie boarding, snorkeling, biking along the boardwalk and many of these activities have a great tour attached. So get out and try that water sport that is calling you. Learn to navigate the wind.